Time-piece



Oct. 31, 1933. E E SPRANGER 1,932,754

TIME PIECE Filed May 14. 1932 71111 willi/ A TTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 31, 1933 'N''D STATES t-ATET orifice.

al Claims.

The present invention relates to'time-pieces The necessity of changing the hour hand ting of the time-piece to adapt the latter to loca-i time, i. e. from daylightsaving time to time or vice versa or during travel, Nis to the time-piece mechanism and i ion destroys 'the accuracy ci the time ig which usually requires long patient setting and resetting to acquire. This is especially true of electrically operated time pieces expensive finely regulated mechanical time-pieces.

An objecty of the present invention is to pron v" Le means for changing the hour hand setting wit-hout interfering in any Way with the timepiece mechanism. Y

.another object of the invention is to provide such means whereby the hour hand setting may be changed without destroying the accuracy of the time reading.

Still another object is to provide a device which may be applied to existing time pieces without modifying the structure in any way.

Still another object is to provide a device which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

With the above and other objects in View will be apparent, my invention comprises the novel combination, construction and arrange'n ment of elements to be hereinafter' more fully described, shown and dened in the appended claims.

1n the accompanying drawing, which is to be read in conjunction with this specication, and in which similar reference characters denote corresponding parts:

Fig. 1 is illustrative of the application of my invention to a timepiece such as an electric clock or the like;

Fig, 2 is an enlarged sectional detail of one form of my device;

Fig. 3 is a section along line 3-3 of Fig. seen in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3o; is a section along line 3cr-3a of Fig. 3 seen in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig, e is a view similar to Fig. 3 of a modified form of my device.

Referring to the drawing, 10 denotes the hour hand shaft of a time-piece and `11 denotes the usual minute hand shaft. l2 denotes a sleeve vhich is adapted to be mounted on the hour hand shaft 10 and be frictionally or otherwise suitably retained thereon. On the circumferential outer wall of said sleeve there are provided a plurality of equi-spaced notches or recesses 13 preferably twelve in number spaced 30 l. Seb" `minute hand or the clock mechanism.

apart about the circumference. Rotaty mounted on said sleeve is the hour 'ifi any type or shape. Extending from said honi han-d is a resilient member 15 of metal or other suitable material which may engage in any of the aforementioned recesses 13 and when so engaged prevents rotation of said hour hand on "aid sleeve 12 and retains it in a determined .L tion. Thus with said member engaging any one of said recesses the hour hand of the time .ce is moved by shaft 10 in the usual relation- .p with respect to the minute hand 13 on. shaft 11 and indicates time in the usual ma 1f foi-,example these handn indicate stand ce r light saving time7 the hour hand is rotated by hand until the resilient member 15 engages in the next notch in the clockwise direction, which being 33 degrees apart from the first time and it is desired to change to dayshaft results in a time reading exactly one hour later than that previously read.` This rotation is effected Without in any v/ay adjusting the Vice versa to reset from daylight saving to standard time, the hour handis rotated in ccunter-clocif.n 35

tegrally formed with the hand 14 if desired 90 or otherwise suitably attached thereto. In the modication shown the said member is integrally formed with the latter and bent around under said hand in the manner shown so that its free end 15 may engage any recess 13. The 95 relative position of the hands on their shafts with respect to the dial face D clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Naturally, the transparent front cover C of the time-piece must be readily removable for manipulation of the hour hand.

.A different modification of my device may be constructed as follows:-

Tne wall `of a sleeve 12', similar to sleeve 12 except for the recesses which are not needed, may be cut away partially as at 122 at that portion on which the hour hand is mounted and provided there with aprojection 13. The hour hand 19 of any usual construction having a sleeve 19 is adapted to be rotatably mounted on said sleeve 12. The sleeve 19 of the hour ico its

hand has a resilient member as a spring mounted therein as to extend as a chord across a portion of the opening in said sleeve 19. Said member has provided therein two or more 6 equi-spaced notches 20' so spaced apart that a rotation of 30 degrees by the hour hand may be made between notches. The sleeve 19 is mounted on the sleeve 12 with the projection i8 engaging one of said notches. The portion of the `spring 20 between notches projects into the path of said projection to prevent rotation of said hand on sleeve 12' without first overcoming the action of said spring. There is further suicient pressure provided by the reaction between said spring and projection 18 to frictionally retain sleeve 19' of hand 19 on sleeve 12. If a shift of the hour hand is necessary to accommodate a diierent time standard, e. g. standard time to daylight saving time the hour hand is rotated in clockwise direction until the projection 16 engages the next succeeding notch in said spring. The time-piece will now indicate daylight saving time, or vice versa when changing from daylight saving time to standard time is required. During the hour hand shift of 30 degrees or more in either direction neither the shaft on which it is mounted nor the mechanism of the time piece is disturbed in any way.

In either modification, if desired, the sleeve can be eliminated. The surface of the hour hand shaft in such event at the portion where the hour hand is mounted will have to be shaped to conform to the respective shapes of the respective sleeve surfaces and, of course, the hour hand will then be rotatably borne directly on the respective hour hand shaft.

The 30 degree spacing mentioned in both modifications between recesses or notches may, of course, be varied to suit and is not to be construed as a limitation of applicants invention.

It is easily seen that there are many variations of my device which may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention and I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the details shown and described.

1. In combination with the hour hand shaft of a time piece, a sleeve mounted on and retained thereon, said sleeve having a plurality of regularly disposed recesses about its circumferential wall, a hand rotatably borne on said sleeve and means extending from said hand to engage in any of said recesses whereby said hand may be rotated a determined amount at a time independently of any movement of said hour hand shaft.

2. In combination with the hour hand shaft of a time piece, a sleeve mounted on said shaft and retained thereon, said sleeve having a plurality of regularly spaced recesses about its circumference, a hand rotatably borne on said sleeve, a resilient member extending from said hand and adapted to engage in any one of said recesses whereby said hand may be rotated a determined amount at a time independently of any movement of the hour hand shaft.

3. In combination with the hour hand shaft of a time piece, a sleeve mounted on said shaft, frictionally retained thereon and rotatable therewith, said sleeve having a plurality of regularly spaced recesses about its circumference, a hand rotatably borne on said sleeve, a resilient member extending from said hand and adapted to engage in any one of said recesses whereby said hand may be` rotated a determined amount at a time independently of any movement of the hour hand shaft.

4. In combination with the hour hand shaft of a time piece, a sleeve mountable on and frictionally retained thereon, a hand rotatably mounted on said sleeve, the latter being cut away in part at the point of mounting of said hand and having a projection and a spring member having regularly disposed notches mounted on said arm, said projection adapted to engage any of the said notches whereby said hand may be rotated a predetermined amount at a time independently of any movement of said hour hand shaft.

ERNEST E. SPRANGER. 

